Final Fantasy VI

is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd. in 1994 for the Super Famicom (SNES). It was directed by Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Itō, who took over from the series creator and producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, director of the five previous installments of the franchise. Long-time series contributor Nobuo Uematsu composed the musical score, while Yoshitaka Amano contributed to the graphic design.

Final Fantasy VI was the third game in the Final Fantasy series to be released in North America (after Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy IV). As a result, it was renamed and marketed as Final Fantasy III in North America. Several other changes were made to the North American version due to various content guidelines imposed by Nintendo of America, including guidelines against nudity and offensive language.

The game focuses on a conflict between the Empire and magical beings known as Espers. It features fourteen playable characters, the largest cast of any game in the Final Fantasy series to date, excluding spin-off titles. The game is set in a fantasy steampunk-styled world, at a technological level roughly corresponding to Earth during the Second Industrial Revolution. Railroads appear here for the first time in the Final Fantasy series.

Final Fantasy VI was the last title in the series to be released for the Super Nintendo console. It was remade for the Sony PlayStation and released in Japan in 1999, both individually and as part of the Final Fantasy Collection. In North America, this remake is available as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology. In 2002, the PlayStation remake was released individually in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. A new port of the game will appear on the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy VI Advance sometime in 2006.

Gameplay

Final Fantasy VI is similar to previous Final Fantasy titles in that its gameplay can be divided into three basic categories: the overworld map, towns and dungeons, and battle.

While on the overworld map, the player directs the characters to locations spread out across the world in which the game takes place. Travel can be initiated in several ways, primarily by foot in the early stages of the game, and by airship in the latter stages. Like most games in the series, there are three primary means of travel across the overworld: by foot, by chocobo, and by airship. Enemies are randomly encountered in the overworld while traveling on foot.

Most of the plot takes place as the player progresses through the various towns and dungeons. The citizens of the towns offer helpful information and rumors to players, and some own shops, which sell equipment and items. Later in the game, visiting certain towns will activate side-quests.

Dungeons appear as a variety of areas, such as caves, sewers, forests or man-made buildings that contain hostile creatures the player will randomly encounter. These dungeons often have treasure chests containing rare items that are not available in NPC stores. Some dungeons require the player to split the characters into multiple parties in order to solve puzzles.

The total length of the game is usually cited as approximately 40-50 hours, although much of that consists of optional side quests. A fairly recent gamer fad includes the speed run, which ignores all but that which is necessary to reach the ending in the fastest time possible. The current record for completing the North American localization of the game is 5 hours and 26 minutes. By comparison, a tool assisted speedrun of the game has been completed in 4 hours, 5 minutes and 53 seconds.

Combat

Combat in Final Fantasy VI is menu-based. The player selects an action from a list, including such options as Fight, Magic, Item. Battles take place in pseudo-real time, a system called Active Time Battle. A party may consist of up to four characters. Each character has an action bar that replenishes itself at a rate dependent on their speed statistic. When a character's action bar is filled, the player may assign an action, such as Fight, Magic, or Item, from a list. In addition, each character possesses one special-ability available only to that character; for example, Locke possesses the ability to Steal certain items from enemy monsters, while Celes's Runic ability allows her to absorb most magical attacks until she uses her next turn. Parties are rewarded for battle victories with experience points and money, called "gil" (or "GP" in the North American localization). When characters attain a certain amount of experience points, they gain a level and their statistics increase. A multiplayer functionality for battles also exists; control of individual characters can be assigned in the configuration menu.

In contrast to previous titles featuring the Active Time Battle, the player is able to pick any character whom has a filled action bar and has not yet received any commands, instead of forcing the player to issue commands to whatever character had their action bar filled first.

An element not included in previous games is the desperation attack. When a character becomes critically wounded, there is a small chance that the character will use an extremely powerful technique in place of their normal physical attack. Similar features appear in subsequent Final Fantasy titles under a variety of different names, such as Limit Breaks, Trance, and Overdrive.

Customization

Customization in Final Fantasy VI lies in the choice of equipment the player chooses to outfit his characters with, including the usage of relics—accessories which augment stats or lend special abilities to the wearer. Although only two characters start the game with the ability to use magic, almost every character can learn to do so. Characters may equip Magicite, enabling the use of specific magic spells. If a character has Magicite equipped, he or she will gain "Magic Points" after most battles. As a character gains magic points, he or she gradually learns spells from the Magicite equipped. In addition, equipped Magicite allows the player to summon a monster to help the party in battle, and may also offer a statistical bonus upon level up.

Story and setting

Setting

Final Fantasy VI takes place on a large unnamed world. During the course of the game, its geography and landscape change due to various developments in the game's plot. During the first half of the game, the world is divided into two major continents and referred to as the "World of Balance". The northern continent is punctuated by a series of mountain ranges and contains many of the locations accessible to the player. Halfway through the game, the world's geographical layout is altered, resulting in its two large continents splitting into several islands of various size situated around a larger continent at their center. This altered layout of the game's locations is referred to as the "World of Ruin".

In contrast to the medieval settings featured in previous Final Fantasy titles, Final Fantasy VI is set in a steampunk environment. The structure of society parallels that of the latter half of the nineteenth century, with opera and the fine arts serving as recurring themes throughout the game,NPC in Jidoor: You like art? No? Philistines! (Final Fantasy VI) and a level of technology comparable to that of the Second Industrial Revolution. Railroads are in place and a coal mining operation is run in the northern town of Narshe. However, communication systems have not reached significant levels of development, with letters sent by way of carrier pigeon serving as the only means of long-distance communication.

One thousand years before the events of the game, three goddesses who served as the source of all magic in the world were at war with one another. This quarrel released magical energy into the world, transforming any human touched by it into a magical creature known as an "Esper," each under the control of the goddesses. The goddesses then used the Espers as soldiers in their war against one another in a conflict known as the "War of the Magi". Eventually, the goddesses realized their war had disgraced them, and in order to repent, they returned free will to the Espers and turned themselves to stone. Their only request was that the Espers ensure their power remain sealed so that it could not be misused again.Left statue: The birth of magic... three goddesses were banished here. In time they began quarreling, which led to all-out war. Those unlucky humans who got in the way were transformed to Espers, and used as living war machines. / Center Statue: The Espers created these statues as a symbol of their vow to let the goddesses sleep in peace. The Espers have sworn to keep the goddesses' power from being abused. / Right Statue: The goddesses finally realized that they were being laughed at by those who had banished them here. In a rare moment of mutual clarity, they agreed to seal themselves away from the world. With their last ounce of energy they gave the Espers back their own free will, and then transformed themselves... ...into stone. Their only request was that the Espers keep them sealed away from all eternity. (Final Fantasy VI). When the war ended, the remaining humans and Espers were burdened with differences in lifestyle, appearance, and worldview. As a result, the Espers departed to another dimension, taking the goddess statues with them.

Gradually, the human race built a society based on technology while the War of the Magi passed into legend.Game opening: Long ago, the War of the Magi reduced the world to a scorched wasteland, and magic simply ceased to exist. 1000 years have passed... Iron, gunpowder and steam engines have been rediscovered, and high technology reigns... (Final Fantasy VI). In the present day, the most powerful technology is in the hands of the Empire a cruel and expanding dictatorship led by Emperor Gestahl and his top generals, Kefka Palazzo, Leo Cristophe and Celes Chère. Driven by legends of the immense power of the Espers, Gestahl initiated a research program to combine magic and machinery, and the result of this program is known as Magitek. The Empire channeled the concept of Magitek into vehicles known as Magitek Armor, which allowed a soldier to use the power of magic without having Magicite crystals or Esper alignment. Another Magitek invention that was created to enhance the power and control of the Empire was the Slave Crown, a device which allows a person to control another.Wedge: Not to worry. The Slave Crown on her head robs her of all conscious thought. She'll follow our orders. (Final Fantasy VI) In order to develop and maintain Magitek, the Empire used Espers as a power source. Though the magical energy of Magitek is weak, the Empire is on the verge of rediscovering the full potential of magic, which Gestahl intends to do by reopening the gateway to the world of the Espers.

Characters

Final Fantasy VI features fourteen permanent player characters, the largest number of any game in the series, as well as a number of characters who are only briefly controlled by the player. Most of the main characters in the game are members of the Returners, and almost every character is united in holding a significant grudge against the Empire and, in particular, Kefka. Terra Branford (ティナ Tina), for instance, is a half-human, half-Esper girl who spent most of her young life as a slave to Kefka. Cyan Garamonde (カイエン Kaien), on the other hand, a loyal knight of the kingdom of Doma, watched his family and friends die as a result of Kefka's poisoning of the castle's water supply. Other characters include Locke Cole (ロック Rokku), a treasure hunter and rebel sympathizer who is close friends with Edgar Roni Figaro (エドガー Edogā), the king of Figaro, who claims allegiance to the Empire while secretly supplying aid to the Returners.Locke: On the surface, Edgar pretends to support the Empire. The truth is, he's collaborating with the Returners, an organization opposed to the Empire. I am his contact with that group... The old man you met in Narshe is one of us. (Final Fantasy VI) Edgar's erstwhile brother, Sabin René Figaro (マッシュ Masshu), has fled the royal court in order to hone his martial arts skills.

Celes Chère (セリス Serisu), a former general of the Empire, joins the Returners following her imprisonment for questioning imperial policies. Believing Celes to be the opera diva Maria, inveterate gambler and womanizer Setzer Gabbiani (セッツァー Settsā) later joins forces with the group, offering the use of his airship to transport the heroes around the world. Shadow (シャドウ Shadou), a high-priced ninja mercenary, offers his services to both Empire and Returners at various stages throughout the game. Shadow shares a mysterious connection with Relm Arrowny (リルム Rirumu), a young girl living in the town of Thamasa under the care of her grandfather, Strago Magus (ストラゴス Sutoragosu), an elderly Blue Mage and heir to a long line of magical warriors.

Gau (ガウ Gau), a feral child surviving since infancy in the harsh wilderness known as the Veldt, eventually befriends the party, as does Mog (モグ Mogu), a talking Moogle from the mines of Narshe. Mog's fast talking and persuasive attitude convince Umaro (ウーマロ Ūmaro), a savage but loyal sasquatch also living in Narshe, to lend his aid to the party. Rounding out the cast is Gogo (ゴゴ Gogo), a mysterious, fully shrouded master of the art of mimicry who agrees to lend support only when the party finds its way to the lair in the stomach of a giant monster called the Zone Eater.

A handful of Final Fantasy VI characters have reappeared in later games, such as Secret of Evermore and Kingdom Hearts II. The Interactive CG Game, a short technical demo produced for the Silicon Graphics Onyx workstation, featured 3D rendered versions of Locke, Terra, and Shadow.

Plot

The story opens with Terra Branford participating in an imperial raid on Narshe in search of a frozen Esper. However, during the raid, the Imperial control over her is broken. Locke Cole helps her escepe to the hideout of the Returners, a group of militants opposing the Empire. Along the way, they meet Edgar Roni Figaro and Sabin Rene Figaro. Banon, the leader of the Returners, asks for Terra's help in the struggle, and she agrees. The group returns to Narshe to investigate the frozen Esper. However, the group gets separated after a battle with Ultros, and some members have to find their own ways to return to Narshe. Eventually, everyone meets up in Narshe, and Celes Chere, Cyan Garamonde, and Gau accompany various Returners there as well. In Narshe, the Returners find out that Kefka is going to attack Narshe. The Returners help chase the invaders away. After the battle, Terra approaches the frozen Esper. She transforms into an Esper herself and flies away.Locke: ...Where's Terra? / Celes: She changed into a...something, and...took off. She looked like... She looked like...an Esper... (Final Fantasy VI)

The Returners set out to search for Terra, and find her in Zozo. There, they meet the Esper Ramuh, who tells them that they have to free various Espers from Imperial control if they wanted Terra to return to normal. The Returners travel to the Imperial capital of Vector, after borrowing an airship from Setzer Gabbiani. In Vector, they rescue various Espers from the Magitek Research Facility, including Maduin, who turns out to be Terra's father. The Returners return to Zozo and show her Maduin. Terra returns to normal.

The Returners decide that it is time to attack the Empire. Banon asks Terra if she can call out to the Espers from behind the Sealed Gate for help. Terra succeeds; however, the Espers cannot control themselves in the human world and destroy Vector. When the Returners arrive there, they find out that Emperor Gestahl has abandoned the war, and invites the Returners to negotiate a peace. Gestahl asks Terra to deliver the peace message to the Espers, and Terra agrees. Accompanied by Locke, she heads to a remote island. There, she recruits Strago Magus to help them find the Espers. Relm Arrowny accompanies them as well.

Terra convinces the Espers to negotiate peace; however, during the negotiations, Kefka attacks the Espers, and acquires their Magicite. The Returners reunite, and learn that the peace was a ploy for Gestahl to obtain Magicite.Kefka: G'ha, ha, ha! Emperor's orders! I'm to bring the Magicite remains of these Espers to his excellency! Behold! A Magicite mother lode!! (Final Fantasy VI)Setzer: We've been had!! The Emperor is a liar! .../ Edgar: I got to know the gal who brought us tea. After a while, she just blurted out the whole crooked plan. (Final Fantasy VI) Kefka and Gestahl use their new Magicite to revive the goddesses. When the Returners corner them, Kefka kills Gestahl and moves the statues out of allignment, causing the destruction of the world.

One year later, Celes wakes up alone on a deserted island. She leaves in search of the other Returners, and eventually finds them. Together, they defeat Kefka and the goddesses. However, since the goddesses are the source of magic in the world, Terra begins to weaken. However, her human side is allowed to live.

Development

Audio

The soundtrack for Final Fantasy VI is the work of long-time series contributor Nobuo Uematsu. The score consists of themes for each major character and location, as well as music for standard battles and fights with boss enemies, as well as for special cutscenes. The "Aria di Mezzo Carattere" is one of the latter tracks, played during a cutscene involving an opera performance. This track features an unintelligible "voice" that harmonizes with the melody; technical limitations prevented the use of an actual vocal track. The orchestral album Final Fantasy VI Grand Finale features an arranged version of the aria, featuring Italian lyrics, performed by Svetla Krasteva with orchestral backing. This aria is also found in the second full-motion video in the PlayStation re-release with the same lyrics but a different musical arrangement. In addition, the album Orchestral Game Concert 4 includes an extended version of the opera. Arguably the most famous sequence in the game, Electronic Gaming Monthly declared the opera scene one of the "20 Greatest Moments in Console Gaming" in 2002.“The 20 Greatest Moments in Console Gaming”, Electronic Gaming Monthly.

Along with "Aria de Mezzo Carattere", "Dancing Mad" is another notable track from Final Fantasy VI. It is played during the game's four-part final battle, and has four movements. Each movement combines Baroque organ with modern rock & roll and electronica. It is possible that the piece was arranged for a choir, as there are "voices" in this piece similar to those heard in Aria di Mezzo Carattere.

Final Fantasy VI Grand Finale features eleven tracks from the game, arranged by Shiro Sagisu and Tsuneyoshi Saito and performed by the Ensemble Archi Della Scala and Orchestra Synfonica di Milano. Final Fantasy VI, a second arranged album, features thirteen tracks from the game, arranged and performed for piano by Reiko Nomura.

Additionally, the original score was released on three compact discs in Japan as Final Fantasy VI Original Sound Version. A version of this album was later released in North America under the title Final Fantasy III: Kefka's Domain, available exclusively through mail order from Square Soft.

Graphics

Yoshitaka Amano, also a long-time contributor to the Final Fantasy series, returns as the image designer. Amano provided concept sketches to the programmers, who converted them into the Sprites that feature in the game. Some liberties were taken during the conversion, such as the changing of Terra's hair from blonde to green, and changing Celes' outfit entirely. The PlayStation release includes full motion video produced specifically for the re-release: the character designs in these video sequences are based on Amano's designs, rather than the sprites in the game.

Even though this is not the first game to utilize the Super Nintendo's Mode 7 graphics, Final Fantasy VI made much more extensive use of them than either of its two predecessors. For instance, unlike both Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy V the world map is rendered in Mode 7, which lends a somewhat three-dimensional perspective to an otherwise two-dimensional game.

Localization and Censorship

The English language localization includes a number of changes to the original Japanese game. The most obvious of these changes is the alteration of the game's title, which was changed to reflect the fact that it was only the third Final Fantasy title to be released in North America. Unlike Final Fantasy IV (originally released in North America under the title Final Fantasy II), there are no major changes in gameplay, though certain editorial alterations exist in the English script. In a January 1995 interview with Super POWER magazine, translator Ted Woolsey explained that "there's a certain level of playfulness and... sexuality in Japanese games that just doesn't exist here the USA, basically because of Nintendo of America's rules and guidelines". (aforementioned magazine interview translated from Swedish to English) Some of the game's graphics are subtly changed to cover up instances of nudity. Also, building signs in towns were changed from "Pub" to "Cafe". In addition, the English localization features several name changes. Some such alterations were necessitated by length restrictions (e.g. "Stragus", Sutoragosu was shortened to "Strago"). Other changes were made in order for the game to meet Nintendo's aforementioned content guidelines, which, for instance, placed restrictions on the use of religious content, leading to the rechristening of the magic spell "Holy" to "Pearl." A number of changes were made simply because of cultural differences between Asian and North American audiences. For example, Terra's Japanese name, Tina, sounds exotic to Japanese speakers, but is a common Anglophone name. Finally, the text files had to be shortened because otherwise they simply could not have fit into the available data storage space of the cartridge ROM.

The North American and European PlayStation remake retains the bulk of Woolsey's original translation, with a few minor changes, including the return to the original Japanese title of Final Fantasy VI, uncensored graphics, and a number of character and item names alterations.

Rereleases

PlayStation

Final Fantasy VI was the last of the Super Nintendo Final Fantasy titles to be remade for the Sony PlayStation, and was released exactly one year after a similar remake of Final Fantasy V, and two years after a remake of Final Fantasy IV. It was followed by a remake of the original Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II in the compilation Final Fantasy Origins. In Japan, the PlayStation remake was released individually and alongside both Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy V as a part of a limited edition boxed set entitled Final Fantasy Collection. In North America, the remake was released alongside Final Fantasy V as part of Final Fantasy Anthology. In Europe, the game was released individually, making it the first time the game had ever been officially released in PAL-based territories.

Technically, the PlayStation remake is very similar to the original Super Nintendo version. Aside from the addition of a few new full-motion video cutscenes throughout the game, the graphics and sound are unchanged from the original version, but the game suffers from heavy slowdown in certain instances, especially in battle scenes and the game's original beta ending where the scenes and dialogue do not keep up with the pace of the music. Unlike the re-release of Final Fantasy IV in the Final Fantasy Chronicles compilation, the script for the North American PlayStation release was essentially left unchanged. For example, gil remained translated as "GP", and Ultima Weapon remained translated as "Atma Weapon". The only notable changes to gameplay involve the correction of a few computer bugs of the many left in the original game, the addition of new bugs, and the addition of a new "memo save" feature which allows players to quickly save their progress to the PlayStation's RAM. Because of the volatile nature of the system's memory, memo saves are lost if power to the console is interrupted. The remake also includes a number of omake bonuses, including a bestiary and artwork gallery that can be accessed from the game's main menu, and are revealed as the player progresses through the game.

Final Fantasy VI is perfectly compatible with the PlayStation 2, and most of the slowdown during the game can be eliminated by setting the PlayStation driver on the system to "Smooth Textures" and "Fast Access".

Game Boy Advance

It has been announced that Final Fantasy VI will be re-released in 2006 as a Game Boy Advance title. It is expected that the GBA version will include additional dungeons and secrets, as was the case with the Final Fantasy IV GBA game. This is consistent with the re-releases of Final Fantasy IV (released in North America on December 12, 2005) and Final Fantasy V (scheduled for an American release in 2006).Final Fantasy V and VI set for GBA, IGN. Accessed on 12 May, 2006.

Reception

Final Fantasy VI sold 2.55 million copies in Japan and around 550,000 copies in the United States under the title "Final Fantasy III" (for the Super NES). The November 1994 issue of GamePro gave the game a perfect 5 out of 5 score, while the October 1994 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it a 9 out of 10. In its 1997 list of the 100 greatest console games of all time, EGM also ranked the game at number 9. When re-released for the PlayStation, the same magazines rated it 4 out of 5, and 9.5 out of 10, respectively. The North American re-release (packaged with Final Fantasy V) sold approximately 364,000 copies. The online gaming magazine IGN ranks the game as number fifty-six on their 100 greatest games of all time list, and it is the second highest Final Fantasy title on the list after Final Fantasy IV. The users of the website GameFAQs chose Final Fantasy VI as the tenth best game ever in 2005.

References

External links

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